


Light of Life; Heat of Love

by nemorps



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: College, Elemental Magic, M/M, dude bros in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 09:44:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19003261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nemorps/pseuds/nemorps
Summary: Their first year, someone on the team once said, “Nate brings the light, Erik brings the heat.” It was a reference to their elemental affinities, but it's a pretty good description of their personalities too. Nate is a very energetic, excitable guy. He can't really help it, and it's something he quite likes about himself, if he's being honest. Erik on the other hand, is very particular, driven and maybe occasionally brooding. Nate likes that too, if he's being honest.





	Light of Life; Heat of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [frecklebombfic (frecklebomb)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frecklebomb/gifts).



> So, this fic is technically a companion piece to the fic I originally started writing for the exchange. This was meant to be a prequel, of sorts, but then Nate and Erik got too cute and I couldn't take this ending away from them just so it'd fit the narrative of the sequel. Technically, it's a companion piece that Could take place in the same 'verse, earlier in the timeline and can stand alone completely.
> 
> The fuller version? of this is about 10k in, and I suspect will close out somewhere around 40k? I hope? XD I'm hoping to work on it steadily, and I expect it'll be done and properly edited by sometime in June or early July.
> 
> I was really inspired by both Frecklebomb's request for plant and nature imagery, as well as the themes of hope and optimism. This installment, if you will, is a bit light on the plant and nature imagery, but I did manage to squeeze a little bit in. I hope you enjoy it <3

Nate fits in. Nate likes fitting in. Nate likes making friends and playing hockey and even likes studying business. He didn't expect to enjoy it. When he left for college, he expected his business degree would feel like an oncoming sentencing, taking him away from hockey. But it hasn't been like that at all. It helps that his team is all in the same boat. Except Erik.

 

Erik is also a business major, also a hockey player and has been since childhood, just like Nate. But that's about as similar as they are, despite being best friends and roommates. Erik was drafted by the Wild, but he doesn't let that separate him from the rest of the team.

 

Their first year, someone on the team once said, “Nate brings the light, Erik brings the heat.” It was a reference to their elemental affinities, but it's a pretty good description of their personalities too. Nate is a very energetic, excitable guy. He can't really help it, and it's something he quite likes about himself, if he's being honest. Erik on the other hand, is very particular, driven and maybe occasionally brooding. Nate likes that too, if he's being honest.

 

Everyone has an elemental affinity, some people commune with their element more, and their element is reflected in their personality, but anyone who buys into all the aspects of elementalism too hard is full of it, as far as Nate's concerned. Besides, Erik can be a lot, but Nate can and has gone to bat to fight anyone who tries to describe Erik as 'hotheaded.' Intense, perhaps, but he's also one of the most mellow and down to earth people Nate has ever met.

 

“ Am I interrupting anything?” Erik asks, poking his head through the door to their room. He's barely opened it far enough to see over one shoulder, which is a little weird.

 

“ No?”

 

Erik gives the books in front of Nate a pointed look.

 

Nate looks down at his desk. “Oh, this. Yeah, I was trying to study, but got distracted.”

 

“ Thinking about what?” Erik asks, leaning against the frame, half of him tucked behind the door like a shower curtain.

 

“ You know, elements, school, you.-- What the hell are you doing over there?” Nate asks, frowning slightly.

 

“ Uh,” Erik chuckles, standing up straight and opening the door the rest of the way. “I got you something.”

 

“ You got me something?” Nate looks, a smile growing on his face as Erik holds out a small, potted plant. The thing is tiny, especially in Erik's ginormous hands, little strings of green pearls nestled in the dirt and tumbling over the edge of the pot. It's a succulent; Nate has a couple succulents in his collection, but not this one.

 

“ Yeah, so... John wanted to hit up the hardware store this weekend, get some nice wood for his hand carving he likes to do-”

 

“ Commune with his earth element,” Nate agrees, reaching out and making 'gimme' motions with his hands.

 

“ Yeah, and next to the wood, they've got a gardening section. I saw this one.” Erik hands it over, and Nate gleefully starts tipping up the individual vines, feeling the shape of the beads. “And thought you'd like it. I know you've got all those plants you like to play light-show for, and I've never seen one like this. Was about to take a picture when I saw the nametag-”

 

“ What's it called?”

 

“ String of pearls.”

 

Nate laughs. “Oh, my god.”

 

“ Yeah. I mean, it doesn't  _ look _ like...  _ That _ . But I had to get it.”

 

“ I fucking love it, man.” Nate beams, setting it on the upper shelf of his desk, next to a potted cactus. “Do you know how much light it's supposed to get or anything?”

 

“ Uh... no?” Erik shrugs. “I figured you'd just do your...” He wiggles his fingers at Nate. “Thing, and figure it out.”

 

“ Well, I'm a light elementalist, not a plant elementalist-”

 

“ There's no such thing as a fucking plant elementalist,” Erik interrupts.

 

“ But I think I can keep it alive long enough to learn what it wants,” Nate continues, standing up and flicking his wrist, so a bubble of light bobs down between them.

 

“ So, you like it?”

 

“ I really fucking like it. It's awesome, man.” Nate says, grabbing Erik's hip and reeling him in as he plops back into his chair. He pauses a moment to admire the view, tall and broad with plenty of muscles to spare. “Thank you. Seriously. I really like it.”

 

“ Well... good.” Erik smiles, not quite a smirk, as he leans over Nate. “When's that date you had planned this weekend?”

 

“ 'Date?' Oh, that. That's not a  _ 'date' _ . It's just casual, and she canceled, had to work on some chem project.”

 

“ So you're free right now?”

 

“ I'm free right now.” Nate grins, sliding his hands back over strong hips to the swell of Erik's ass. And it is  _ some _ ass. The glorious benefit of fucking a hockey forward. Nate's ass is nothing to sneeze at, but he's a defenseman, and it does show. Erik could crush Nate's skull with his thighs just by sitting on his face, but that's not what Nate wants at the moment.

 

“ Here? Or bed?” Erik growls, voice dark. His fingers tease at the clasp of Nate's pants as he practically looms over Nate.

 

“ Bed- bed!” Nate gasps, licking his lips. “Very much bed. Please.”

 

Erik chuckles sliding out of Nate's lap and slinking over to Nate's bed, dragging his shirt up and over his head as he goes. “Come on then, don't dawdle.”

 

“ Coming, coming,” Nate promises, shoving his own clothes off as quickly as he can. He doesn't want to miss a second of this.

 

“ That's the idea.”

 

Nate groans. “Come on, puns are my thing.”

 

“ Why do you think I made it?” Erik lounges on the bed, stretching his arms up over his head, arching his back, showing off.

 

Nate appreciates it. Nate appreciates  _ all _ of it, puns included. “Yeah, okay,” he agrees, leaning over Erik and catching his mouth in a quick kiss, but Erik pulls him in before he can back off.

 

When they do pull apart, they're both breathless, eyes dark. Erik asks, “What do you want?”

 

“ Ah-” A flash of heat runs through Nate's gut, filling his cock. He knows exactly what he wants. “Last week, you... With the whole-” Nate waves a hand.

 

“ Use your words,” Erik teases, already trailing just the tips of his fingers over Nate's hip.

 

Nate can feel a shivery chill run up his spine, and if he didn't know exactly what it felt like, he'd think Erik was already doing it. “Your element. I want you to use your elemental affinity on me.”

 

“ You mean this?” Erik asks, stroking the full flat of his palm up the center of Nate's chest. It feels feverishly hot in the comfortable chill of the room.

 

“ Fuck, yeah, that's what I want,” Nate agrees, practically melting into the bed.

 

Erik pushes him back and sits up, almost kneeling over Nate's hips, so the only places they're touching are Erik's hands casting brands of pleasure into Nate's skin.

 

Nate gasps, trying to squirm into more contact, but Erik shoves him back down.

 

“ Be good,” He warns. “I promise to take care of you.” Erik trails the back of one knuckle over the head of Nate's cock. The shock of icy cold below and scorching heat above makes Nate whimper and his cock plump.

 

“ I will- I'll try,” Nate says honestly, feeling his toes curling against the mattress.

 

“ That's it.” Erik continues to murmur encouragement and praise to Nate as he's worked over. Both hands hot, massaging muscles Nate didn't even realize were sore.

 

Over and over, deeper into his core until Nate is sweating, he feels overheated and over sensitized. He's a limp puddle of lust under Erik's attention.

 

Well, he's not all limp.

 

The first touch of Erik's tongue, wet and slick as melted ice, has Nate yelping from the sudden contrast.

 

“ Like that?” Erik asks. He knows the answer. The chill of his breath brings goosebumps to Nate's chest.

 

Nate grips the bed tightly with both hands, trying desperately to hold still. “Fuck, That's perfect.”

 

“ Touch me,” Erik dares, trailing icy bites and nips across Nate's chest, sucking Nate's nipple into his mouth until it's hard and tight from both the pleasure and the cold.

 

“ Really?” Nate asks, why the fuck is he asking.

 

“ Yes.”

 

Nate lets go of the sheets and  _ grabs _ Erik's ass with both hands.

 

Erik goes easily and their hips crash together in an immediate, familiar grind. Hot and liquid.

 

“ Jesus, Erik.”

 

“ Yeah?” Erik asks, and his voice is softer now.

 

Nate opens his eyes, and Erik's cheeks are flushed, his smile proud but also excited. “Fuck yeah.”

 

Erik thrusts their cocks together, dragging lazy patterns up and down Nate's sides, refusing to neglect their game, but his attention is clearly elsewhere.

 

Nate's is too, but he can't help wriggling at every shivery curl and warming caress. He wants more and less and everything and he can't explain how good it feels except, “Getting close,” he gasps.

 

“ Yeah?” Erik grins, voice going dark again. “Do it. I want to see you.”

 

Nate bites his lip, digging in his fingers and thrusting up against Erik's hips, sweat and precum mixing with the heat of their bodies and drawing him up and on and over that edge. “Oh- ooh god, yes.”

 

Erik's own rhythm falters as he stares down at Nate.

 

“ What?” Nate gasps, panting against the bed. The room is bright and floaty around them.

 

“ You're-” Erik reaches up a hand, his thumb traces over Nate's cheek. The look of awe on his face doesn't fade. “You're glowing!”

 

“ I- No I'm not.” The brightness in the room has gone slightly pink, and Nate knows he's lying, though he can't see the truth.

 

Erik can though. He smiles, leaning down to press their foreheads together. “S'okay. I like it,” he says, resuming their earlier thrusting. “This okay?”

 

Nate shudders a little at the sensitivity of it. “Yeah, just... don't take  _ too _ long.”

 

“ Yeah, okay,” Erik promises, speeding up just enough.

 

There's nothing between them but the sound of their panting breaths, the heat of their bodies and the chill of their sweat cooling on their skin as Erik follows Nate over with a low groan of completion.

 

“ Shit....” Erik sighs, collapsing half on top of Nate and plastering himself to Nate's side. It's... a bit warmer than Nate would like, but it quickly cools down before he even has to say it.

 

The room is still glowing.

 

“ So....” Erik starts, and Nate tenses. “We don't have to talk about it... Unless you want to? But.... me too. Just... so you know.”

 

“ I... yeah?” Nate asks, looking down at the top of Erik's hair, all he can see with Erik's face pressed into his chest. Erik has a lot of hair. Hockey flow. Which is a stupid thought to be having right now.

 

“ Yeah. Just... no big deal.”

 

“ No big deal,” Nate agrees, beaming. Literally. So... that's a thing. He can work with that.

 


End file.
